So often we’re told the stories of criminals who commit horrific acts against children, but what about the victims’ stories? One brave woman has spoken out about her own ordeal to help others suffering in silence.
Speaking to Marie Claire, the woman- who has chosen to remain anonymous- explained how she would be taken to rest stops off a nearby highway where she would be abused.
She explained: “My abuser would bring me to rest stops so truckers could rape me… I was just six years old.”
She then goes even more disturbing and distressing detail, explaining how abusers made her wear lingerie before taking her to warehouses where they would drug her, abuse her and film her.
“I was made to dress in lingerie and then brought to warehouses, where men would be gathered with cameras. Other kids were there, too. We were given alcohol or injected with drugs to make sure we stayed calm, hazy, compliant.”
The abuse stopped before she started high school, and she started to use her academic talents as a means of coping with her traumatic past.
“My coping mechanism was to bury myself in schoolwork. I was determined to go to college, which wasn't very common in my small town. My dedication to homework didn't win me any popularity awards, but I had a couple of friends in high school. I even had some boyfriends.”
She then went on to university where she dedicated herself to studying how abuse affects its victims and how paedophile rings operate, all in an effort to prevent another child from suffering from similar experiences.
“It can be paralysing to consider this kind of collusion. Is anyone trustworthy? Is any town safe? Do all humans have the capacity for such depraved behaviour? Instead of making me feel worse, studying these patterns helps me cope.”
She has now adopted a 10-year-old son, who she fears could have become a victim of abuse had he not been taken in by her and her husband.
If you have been affected by this story, contact www.napac.co.uk